Carding machine



A. J. AMMERALL CARDING MACHINE Nov. 12, 1963 4 Shee'cs-Shee:l 1

Filed May 18 Nov, 12, 1963 A. J. AMMERALL CARDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 18, 1961 Nov. 12, 1963 A. .1. AMMERALL CARDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet. 4

Filed May 18, 1961 Iwezz'oi'f.- Uev J. aimera@ y pwd/ 64.1224 5 @auf bwae'ys United States Patent 3,110,063 CARDIN@ MACHINE Albert 5. Ammerail, 268 Brookside Ave., Amsterdam, NY. Filed May 18, 1961, Ser. No. 116,9@ s Claims. (Ci. ranas) This invention relates to the textile industry and is particularly concerned with a carding machine so made that the extent of the carding of the fibers may be varied. By the use of this machine, new lots of stock may be experimentally -tested to be give-n varying amounts of treatment lby the strippers and workers and the stock so treated may immediately thereafter be fed to the spinning frame in which the count and the twist may be varied. ln other words, the machine that constitutes this invention makes it possible to determine quickly and inexpensively just how much the fibers of a given lot of stock should be carded to produce the type of yarn desired.

The invention distinguishes over the conventional carding machine in that the cylinder instead of being uniformly covered with wire is covered with a continuous narrow tape carrying the wire, which tape is fed onto the cylinder at the front end and then travels turn by turn to the other end of the cylinder, rom which it is led back to the front end. The stock, which may be any of the conventional fibers, is fed to the wire on the tape as it starts its travel at the front end around and along the cylinder. The cylinder may be of any length and the tape will pass around the cylinder approximately as many ltimes as the width of the tape is divisible into the length `of the cylinder. In the example which will hereinafter be disclosed, the tape passes ten times around the cylinder.

Conventional strippers and workers are used, but it is unnecessary to use as many strippers and workers as in the case of the conventional carding machine. If, for example, a single stripper 4and single worker were used, then, since the fibers are carried around the cylinder ten times as they move laterally from the front end to the rear end of the cylinder, each fiber vwill be caused to pass under the single stripper and single wor er ten times. Thus the single stripper and single worker do the same work yon the bers as ten sets of strippers and workers would accomplish in a conventional machine.

ln the example to be disclosed hereinafter, two sets of strippers and workers are shown. These do the Same work on the libers (the tape traveling ten times aro-und the cylinder) as would be accomplished by twenty sets of strippers and workers in a conventional machine.

The fibers are removed from the wire tape kby a doer and comb, both of which are conventional in construction but of limited width. The dofer is shiftable longitudinally of the cylinder so that it may doit the iibers from the tape at any selected turn.

As will become clearer vfrom the following description, it is possible to provide ten steps of carding treatment of the fibers. The bers, having been carded to any one of these selected degrees or stepsfof treatment, may then be fed directly to the spinning frame and the yarn produced thereby tested for quality, strength and other characteristics. The extent of the carding required to produce the best yarn may thus readily and inexpenice sivel'y be determined. Having been determined, then the balance of the stock may be carded on the present machine or more rapidly on a conventional machine set to give the same extent of carding treatment. Alternatively, the stock may be carded on a battery of machines similar to that disclosed herein.

The length of the cylinder may be increased, in which case each cylinder could carry a plurality of tapes and for each of these tapes there would be individual liber feeding means.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the carding machine with portions broken away for clarity of disclosure of the parts below;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in FG. l;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation looking from the left of FIG. l;

FlG. 4 is a perspective View somewhat schematic.

Refelring now to FlGS. l, 2 and 3, the carding miaehine is mounted on a pair of parallel side frames 2 and 4. These frames carry a more or less conventional cylinder 6 mounted for rotation on a shaft S which may be driven by conventional means not shown.

Conventional strippers and workers lil` and 12 and i4 and 16 are mounted conventionally and extend the full width of the cylinder. These strippers and workers are llikewise driven by conventional means not shown.

The cylinder, instead of being covered over its entire area with fixed wire, is covered with a continuous narrow tape which carries conventional Wire. If for purposes of explanation ywe consider the point A in FiG. 2 as the commencing point in the description of the continuous tape, it will be seen that the tape travels up and over the top of the cylinder, past the point B, thence down to the bottom of the cylinder to the point C. Through this tra-vel, the tape has moved around the cylinder in a circular path. Shortly after leaving the point C, the tape is led laway from the cylinder by a anged roller 13 mounted for free rotation on shaft 19. This tirst roller is located the distance of the width of one tape away from the end of the cylinder. The tape is thus shifted by roller 18 suiiciently along the cylinder to commence a second turn around the cylinder as indicated at E. in FIGS. l, 2 and 3. When the second convolution or turn of the tape E has reached the bottom of the cylinder, it is then carried diagonally by a second roller immediately adjacent roller 18 to start a new circular turn around the cylinder. The tape in this turn is indicated at F in FIGS. 1 and 3.

In this manner, the tape is carried from the front end of the cylinder to the rear end in a seriesof parallel sections Lor turns which have been numbered in FIG. 3 as D, E, F, G, H, I, l, K, L and M. The rollers that accomplish the shifting of the tape stage-by-stage are identical to the two rollers 18 already referred to and all of these rollers are separated by lianges Ztl, which can be clearly seen in FIGS. 1 and 3.

When `the tape in -turn M :reaches the lower portion of its travel as indicated 'at N in FIGS. 2 and 4, it is then carried diagonally across the under side of the cylinder Q by means of a Weighted tension roller `24, thence to a Iroller 26 which is aligned with the original point A.

From the foregoing description, it is believed apparent that if the cylinder 6 is rotated the tape will travel continuously about the cylinder, running from the first turn D to the last turn M and thence back to turn D.

Any convenient conventional means for feeding the fibers that are to be carded to the first row of the tape may be used. As shown in the figures, one form of such mechanism may include a feed apron 28 which carries the fibers 30 |to a pair of feed rolls 32 and 34 which deliver the fibers to the wires of the tape as it passes thereby. The fibers on the lcape are then carried around the cylinder turn-by-turn to be worked on by the strippers and workers for as many times as is deemed necessary.

Means is yalso provided for removing the fibers from the .tape at any selected turn in the carding operation. As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the machine has been arranged so that the dofhng operation will occur lafter the fibers have been treated fivetimes by each pair of strippers and workers. The means for accomplishing the removal of the bers from the tape is as follows: Adjacent the cylinder is a transversely extending shaft 36 having a keyway 38 extending its full length. A dolfer 4% is slidably keyed to shaft 36. By means of a bracket 42, lthe doer is associated in fixed relation with a fancy 44 canried by a rotatable shaft 46 extending from bracket 42. A vguide roller 48 is carried by a shaft 50 likewise extending from bnacket 42. Bracket 42 is mounted for transverse adjustment on a plate 52 (see FIG. 2) which extends crosswise between the frames 2 and 4. Thus by shifting bracket 42 on the plate 52, the dotfer 40, the fancy 44 and the guide roller 48 may be brought into alignment with any one of 'the convolutions of the tape. A pulley 47 and belt 49 act to drive the fancy by a suitable pulley (not shown) aixed to the fancy shaft 46.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, the ldoifer and associated elements have been brought into alignment with row H of the rtape so that the carded fibers will be removed after ten engagements with the strippers and workers. To accomplish this, guide roller 48 is placed behind tape H when the machine is stationary. This is possible because there is suliicient slack in the tape to permit it to be shifted around the ldrum enough to have that portion of row H pulled outwardly away from the drum to pass around guide roller 48. With the doifer and fancy thus positioned, it is apparent that with the card in operation :the fibers on the tape wllhave been treated five times by the rst set of strippers and workers and tive `times by the second set of strippers and workers. In other words, when the tape reaches the fancy 44 when the latter is in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the treatment accorded ,the fibers thereon would be the same as if they had been carded on a conventional machine equipped with ten sets of strippers and workers.

If it is desired to card the fibers more or less, the machine may be stopped and the doifer, fancy and guide roller unt may be shifted laterally to the `appropriate row. For maximum treatment, the bracket 42 would be shifted to be -aligned with row M. For minimum treatment, it would be shifted to be aligned with row D.

The fibers are removed from the tape by the dolfer 40 in conventional manner and from the dolfer by a conventional comb 54. The comb, of course, need only be as wide as the width of the layer of fibers on the dofer. The comb is actuated in the usual manner by oscillation of shaft 56, and likewise the comb is shiftable longitudinally on its shaft so that it may be kept in alignment with the doifer at any selected position. The fibers on leaving the comb are delivered by the feed rolls 58 and 60 to a can 62 or they may go directly rto the spinning frame.

From the foregoing description, it is believed clear that there has been provided a carding machine of great liexibility which makes -it possible for small lots of fibers to Y be carded in varying degrees to determine in an inexpensive manner the extent such fibers should be carded to produce the desired yarns. Upon determination of the proper extent of the carding required, the carding may then be continued in the present machine or conventional carding machines may then be set up so that the same degree of carding will be `applied to the fibers even though the carding -is done in greater quantity.

It is my intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A `carding machine comprising a cylinder, a con- -tinuous tape provided with carding means running along the cylinder to form ya plurality of turns Vthereabout, the said tape returning from its last turn about said cylinder to the first turn about said cylinder, means for feeding fibers to the first turn of tape and a doifer movable parallel to said `cylinder for removing fibers from any selected turn of tape.

2. A carding machine comprising a cylinder, a continuous tape provided withv carding means running around said cylinder in a plurality of parallel turns, at least one stripper and one worker extending parallel to said cylinder and overlying all turns of said tape in cooperative relation thereto, said tape being of such length as to permit one turn of said tape to be held away from the surface of said cylinder for a limited angular distance as the cylinder and tape rotate, `a roller positionable behind the tape in any selected turn for holding said tape away from said cylinder, means for feeding fibers to the tape of the first turn and a doier for removing fibers from the tape of the turn that is held away from the cylinder by the said roller.

3. A carding machine comprising a cylinder, a continuous tape provided with carding means running around said cylinder in a plurality of parallel circular turns throughout the major pontion of the circumference, means for shifting each turn along said cylinder, said means comprising a plurality of rollers mounted for rotation on a shaft parallel to the axis of the cylinder with each roller directing the tape of one turn away from the cylinder and thence to its position in the next `adjacent turn, said tape being of such length as to run slack from the end of the last turn back to the beginning of the first turn, means for applying tension to said slack portion, means for feeding fibers to the first turn of said tape, at least one stripper and one worker positioned parallel to said cylinder and extending for the length of all of the turns of said tape in cooperative relation thereto, means `Vfor holding #any selected turn of the tape away from the cylinder during its travel past a limited part of the circumference, and a doifer for removing fibers from that portion of the tape held away from the cylinder.

4. Means in a single machine for carding fibers to a greater or less degree, said means comprising a cylinder, means for rotating said cylinder, a continuous tape provided with carding means wrapped around said cylinder with the tape returning from the terminal turn to the beginn-ing turn, said tape extending around said cylinder in a plurality of parallel adjacent turns over a majority of the circumference of said cylinder, means for shifting the tape of one turn to the position of the next turn, said means comprising a flanged roller spaced from the cylinder in alignment with the next turn, the tape of the preceding turn leaving the cylinder and passing over the said flanged roller and thence traveling from said angedroller back to the cylinder to the position of the next turn closely adjacent the preceding turn, means for feeding fibers to one turn of said tape, means on the opposite side of the cylinder for holding lany selected subsequent -turn of said tape away fromsaid cylinder for a limited portion of the circumference of said cy-linder, a doffer adjustable longitudinally of said cylinder for removing fibers from that portion of the tape held away from said cylinder, and at least one stripper and one worker extending paraliei to said cyiinder for operating on the bers on said tape.

5. A carding machine comprising a cylinder, a continuous tape provided with carding means running along the cylinder to form a plurarity of turns thereabout, the said tape returning from its iast turn about said cylinder to the first turn about said cylinder, means for holding one or" said turns away from said cylinder, means for feeding fibers to the turn so held away, means for holding any subsequent turn away from said cylinder on the opposite side thereof, and a doiier for removing iibers from said subsequent turn at the held-away position.

6. A carding machine comprising a cylinder, means for rotating said cylinder, a continuous tape provided with carding means Wrapped around said cylinder with the tape returning from the -termin turn to the beginning turn, said tape extending around said cylinder in a pluraiity of parallel adjacent turns over a majority of the circumference of sm'd cylinder, means for shifting the tape or" one turn to the position of the next turn, said tape including some slack, means for applying tension to said slack portion, means for holding a portion of one turn away from the cylinder on one side, means for holding a portion of any selected subsequent turn away from the cyiinder on the other side, mens for feeding fibers to the iirst portion held away on one side, and a doer for removing bers from the portion held away on the other side.

No references cited. 

1. A CARDING MACHINE COMPRISING A CYLINDER, A CONTINUOUS TAPE PROVIDED WITH CARDING MEANS RUNNING ALONG THE CYLINDER TO FORM A PLURALITY OF TURNS THEREABOUT, THE SAID TAPE RETURNING FROM ITS LAST TURN ABOUT SAID CYLINDER TO THE FIRST TURN ABOUT SAID CYLINDER, MEANS FOR FEEDING FIBERS TO THE FIRST TURN OF TAPE AND A DOFFER MOVABLE PARALLEL TO SAID CYLINDER FOR REMOVING FIBERS FROM ANY SELECTED TURN OF TAPE. 